Technology is progressing quickly through the trucking industry. The next big advancement could mean the end of vehicle mirrors. According to Fleetowner Magazine, “The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is considering allowing a camera monitor system, or CMS, to replace rearview and sideview mirrors on commercial trucks. “
One of the very few systems out there right now that is in line to replace vehicle mirrors is the Stoneridge MirrorEye Camera Monitor System. According to Stoneridge, “the system replaces a commercial truck’s mirrors with integrated external digital cameras and digital monitors inside the cab of the truck. MirrorEye eliminates driver blind spots, provides a greater field of view and improves safety for everyone on the road – day and night.” There are hundreds of trucks on the road currently using the MirrorEye system in their cab, however all trucks are still required to keep their rearview and side mirrors in place. Some of the touted advantages of the MirrorEye system include, greater field of view, elimination of blind spots and reduced fuel consumption.
Germany based Mekra Lang, a company similar to MirrorEye, has also developed a digital mirror system for not only trucks but other commercial vehicles such as buses, construction and municipal authorities to name a few. It seems as if there will be a higher demand for these technology advancements and it would not be surprising if other technology companies come out with their own versions of monitoring cameras. There are predictions that by 2025, all new trucks will be sold without your standard mirrors and instead replaced by a camera monitoring system.